mischievous

adjective

ˈmis-chə-vəs How to pronounce mischievous (audio)
Definition of mischievousnext
1
as in wicked
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm mischievous gossip that ruined a good teacher's reputation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mischievous The actress, 64, made her mark on the iconic ‘70s show as Nellie Oleson, Laura Ingalls’ mischievous classmate. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026 Shooky is a chocolate chip cookie who has a mischievous look about him. — Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 10 July 2026 His long white oval scleras and perfect-circle black pupils, sometimes open and sometimes closed, are always inexplicably expressive—managing to seem happy, sad, scared, sleepy, shifty, angry, eager, alarmed, mischievous, or murderous. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 The bride and groom both wore custom Christian Dior looks designed by Jonathan Anderson, who’s known for elaborate, mischievous designs. — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
  1. wicked
  2. naughty
  3. dangerous
  4. playful
  5. bad
  6. harmful
  7. impish
  8. adverse
Adjective
  • Grass skirts fly as women perform the wicked-fast Tahitian Otea dance, and the audience holds its breath during the Samoan fire knife performance.
    — Tracey Teo, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
  • Among Ashley’s many sins, none were more wicked than the alienation of club legends, particularly Keegan.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • When Martín is kidnapped by a monster, Cleo ventures into the jungle to rescue him, aided by an elderly witch and a naughty anteater.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 9 July 2026
  • People would hang from windows, encouraging you to do naughty things, and my thumb has never been sorer from back-and-forth gestures.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of naughty
Adjective
  • Experts agree that allowing external services to access Apple’s and Google’s operating systems could be dangerous for security and user privacy.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • Sources additionally say that officers have burnt out while working overtime month after month — all on top of functioning in an already tense and dangerous environment, likening the situation to a powder keg ready to blow.
    — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • Though the playful space has no actual dock or access to the nearby Chao Phraya, the river’s blue waters and blue-orange tugboats influenced the hotel’s color scheme and other touches.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • August is your last chance to embrace summer’s brightest manicure trends, from juicy hues to playful nail art.
    — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 19 July 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • The situation is particularly bad in France, which has already recorded more than 300 wildfires this year, compared to an annual average of 93, according to the EFFIS.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Anderson’s injury record is slightly worse by virtue of a stress fracture in his back that kept him out for four months in the middle of the 2023-24 season, but over the two subsequent campaigns both have been near-constantly available.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Your liver is responsible for breaking down toxins and filtering them out of the body, essentially detoxifying you from harmful substances and chemicals.
    — Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 22 July 2026
  • At our previous Yale CEO Caucus, over two-thirds of CEOs surveyed told us that Trump’s tariffs had been harmful to their own businesses, and 80% said that tariff costs had been passed on in part to consumers.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 July 2026
Definition of harmful
Adjective
  • Two years ago, the Man City phenom appeared in a 90-second spot for the game that saw him get recruited to storm a castle teeming with goblins, dragons and impish skeletons.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026
  • Her new album, Fata Morgana, uses an array of cascading rhythms, impish hooks, and fierce poetry to interrogate her place in a corrupt American society.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of impish
Adjective
  • But this isn’t because of potential health risks or adverse effects in-flight—cabin crew simply dislike pouring it because of its excessive fizziness.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
  • The scientific debate Scientists do not always agree on what counts as an adverse effect of mindfulness.
    — Ronald S. Green, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
Definition of adverse

Browse Nearby Words

mischiefs
mischievous
mischievousness
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Cite this Entry

“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischievous. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of mischievous for Spanish Speakers

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